VERY FIRST ENTRY IN PUERTO RICO!!

Trip Start Jan 15, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Puerto Rico Rio Rande, Puerto Rico
Thursday, February 2, 2006

So it has taken me over two weeks to start an online travel journal, I apologize for my tardiness. I arrived here at the Inn Jan 15th and have been working ever since. So far I've build a septic system, installed electrical conduit and wiring, cement blocking, as well as helped out with the general maintenance and upkeep of the Inn. There is a lot I've done in my first two weeks here and so I'll try and recap.

The past two weeks have been very exciting here. We've had a professional chef and his partner who cooked a wonderful dish for us as well as provided charming conversation and good humor. We just had a violin repair guy staying here and last night we feasted and played music till late at night. We recorded the music for a podcast, which you will be able to hear at RainForestInn.com

I have met several members of my extended family, which has been awesome. I am continually amazed as to how well connected my father's side of the family is, and the relationships that have continued through time and space. My second cousin, Indigo, is a great woman and she is teaching me yoga and taking me to the beach and telling me all sorts of great stories like how she has met the Beatles, photographed the Jackson 5, worked as a model, photographer, and other awesome jobs. Her spiritual journey began in 1972 I believe and she went "as Jesus did" and traveled Latin America by hitchhiking with no money, food, plans, knowledge of the language, friends....nothing. Whenever she needed to pass a border or was being harassed by authorities, she would recite from her small vocabulary of Spanish, "no tienen cortezon?" which means, "have you no heart?" She said it got her through a couple interesting times.
Jimmy and Ester Humphrey own a dog kennel and have an amazing house...hopefully I'll upload a picture or two of their house.

Beach babe

Their two children, Mikey their daughter, and Joss their son, are cool. Mikey is a wizard on the computer doing online journals and personal websites and such, and Joss wants to be an artist and was showing me all his artwork the other night.
Andrew and Eon McFadden own a house and a killer piece of property and their view from their house is absolutely amazing. The house and other structures and in their beginning stages, but the house has an incredible amount of potential.

The rainforest is absolutely gorgeous here. After a few hours of good work the other day I went hiking up a small stream near the Inn here and sat and listened to the sounds of the rainforest...very serene. The pictures I have uploaded are of my room and my view off the back deck of my room. Completely open to the fresh air and sounds of the forest. Couldn't ask for a better room!

Since I am practically broke (especially from paying rent in a house that I'm not even living in in East Lansing, Mi) I am very grateful to have found some short term employment building wooden storm shutters for my...I think he is my third cousin...Andrew. A little beer money and travel money will be great to have.

Of course there is a whole lot of other stuff I have done and people I have met, and places I have gone, but I don't have the time to record everything. I want to update this page every so often...maybe twice a week...so that I don't have to recap such a large chunk of time in the future.

I have uploaded some pictures in the photo gallery, check 'em out and of course your comments and questions are always welcome and encouraged!